(30 September 2026)

Sunwah – On 30 September 2026, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Brinc Korea and Sunwah Innovations jointly organized K-Tourism Open Innovation Vietnam 2026 at Sunwah Galleria in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

The program connected 10 Korean tourism-tech startups with businesses, investors and partners from Vietnam’s tourism and innovation ecosystem. Through startup presentations and direct business-matching activities, the program aimed to explore the practical needs of the local market, promote commercial partnerships and create opportunities for pilot projects in Vietnam.

The program was supported by TASCO, Galaxy Holdings of Sovico Group, VinVentures of Vingroup, and Sunwah Group as Anchor Partners. The partners helped connect the startups with real business needs, shared local market insights, and explored potential opportunities for business collaboration.

The event was attended by Ms. Park Eunjung, Director of the Korea Tourism Organization in Hanoi; Mr. Shin Jaehyung, Consul of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in HCMC; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Tourism Association; Mr. Jesse Choi, Regional Director of Sunwah Group in ASEAN and CEO of Sunwah Innovations; Mr. Jonathan Moore, Partner of Brinc Korea; and more than 50 delegates from businesses, industry associations, investment funds and startup support organizations.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Park Eun Jung, Director of KTO Hanoi Office, highlighted the strong growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry and tourism exchanges between the two countries. In 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 20 million international visitors, while nearly five million people travelled between Korea and Vietnam. As AI, big data and digital solutions continue to transform the way people travel and businesses operate, she described Vietnam as a promising market for Korean technology companies. She expressed her hope that the discussions at the event would lead to contracts, investment opportunities and long-term partnerships, while reaffirming KTO’s commitment to supporting cooperation that delivers tangible results.

Ms. Park Eun Jung, Director of KTO Hanoi Office

Representing the HCMC Tourism Association, Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice Chairman of the Association, noted that technology and innovation are having an increasingly significant impact on every stage of the visitor journey. For Ho Chi Minh City, technology adoption should address the practical needs of businesses and travellers, thereby improving operational efficiency, service quality and the destination’s competitiveness. He welcomed the program’s practical approach of directly connecting technology companies with tourism businesses and expressed his hope that these initial meetings would lead to pilot projects, concrete partnership models, and new products and services suited to the Vietnamese market.

Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Tourism Association,

Representing Sunwah Group, Mr. Jesse Choi emphasized that tourism is a highly competitive industry. The visitor experience depends not only on hotels and destinations, but also on transportation, healthcare, retail, food and beverage services, access to information and many other supporting services.

According to Mr. Jesse Choi, technology can help businesses improve both service quality and operational efficiency. However, for a solution to be successfully adopted, technology companies need a clear understanding of local needs, operating conditions and the priorities of potential partners in the target market. The program’s direct business-matching sessions therefore played an important role in enabling companies from both countries to exchange information, identify specific needs and explore suitable areas for cooperation.

Mr. Jonathan Moore, Partner at Brinc Korea, introduced Brinc and K-Tourism Open Innovation Vietnam 2026. He also shared the program’s objective of connecting Korean tourism-tech startups with businesses and potential partners in Vietnam, supporting market exploration, solution testing and the development of practical cooperation opportunities.

During the program, 10 Korean tourism-tech startups presented solutions across a range of areas, including AI-powered travel personalization, digital guest experiences, hotel operations and management, smart tourism, mobility, and other technologies supporting the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Following the presentations, the Event featured four rounds of direct business matching between the Korean startups and Vietnamese partners. These sessions enabled both sides to discuss operational needs, the potential application of different solutions, possible partnership models and the adjustments required to meet the needs of the Vietnamese market.

Through these two-way exchanges, Korean companies gained deeper insights into the local market and the needs of Vietnamese partners. At the same time, Vietnamese businesses were able to explore new technology solutions and assess their potential for practical application.

The discussions aimed to lead to practical outcomes, including pilot projects, commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and long-term development plans in Vietnam. Sunwah Innovations and Brinc Korea will continue to support follow-up exchanges and connections between the participating startups and Vietnamese partners after the program.

Following the Demo Day, five to six startups will be selected to participate in a seven-week discussion and mentoring program with the corporate partners. This process will enable the parties to further examine practical needs, assess the suitability of the proposed solutions, and identify potential proof-of-concept projects and commercial partnerships.

From 29 September to 1 October, the Korean tourism-tech delegation visited and met with representatives of Sunwah Innovation Center Ho Chi Minh City, Fusion Original Saigon Centre, Galaxy Holdings, M Village and Vidotour. The visits provided the delegation with further insights into Vietnam’s business environment, hospitality and tourism operations, and local demand for technology adoption. The parties also discussed potential partnerships and opportunities to pilot suitable solutions in Vietnam.

K-Tourism Open Innovation Vietnam 2026 is one of the initiatives promoting exchanges between the Korean and Vietnamese innovation ecosystems in tourism and technology. The program helps bring technology solutions closer to the practical needs of businesses while creating further opportunities for Korean startups to explore and develop their operations in Vietnam.

Through continued collaboration among the Korea Tourism Organization, Brinc Korea, Sunwah Innovations, the Anchor Partners and other ecosystem stakeholders, the program aims to turn cross-border innovation connections into practical solutions, pilot projects and sustainable business partnerships between Korea and Vietnam.